In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you.

It pleases me, in the name of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif – as a mosque and a University – and on behalf of our male and female top high school students and on behalf of myself, to welcome H.E. Prof. ‛Ali ‛Abdul ‛Āl, Speaker of the House of Representatives. I would like to thank him a lot in appreciation of his parental care and keenness to share with male and female top high school students at Al-Azhar their joyful celebration of success and of earning top positions. He is also keen to encourage them to renew their determination and perseverance in learning, engaging in a new stage of education, and obtaining knowledge in different set disciplines. In fact, his presence today in the company of Al-Azhar students brings two sources of joy; one is that he personally congratulates hardworking and distinguished students who have been fully dedicated and who are aspiring to achieve success and excellence; and the other is that – through such congratulation – he represents the entire Egyptian people, on top of whom comes H.E. President ‛Abdul Fattaḩ El-Sisi. Thanks again and again, Professor ‛Ali ‛Abdul ‛Āl, Speaker of the House of Representatives, for offering congratulations to top scoring students of this long-standing institution, with which major world universities in the east and the west race to collaborate.

Allow me, honorable attendees, on this pleasurable occasion, to make two points in brief. First, I would like to note that the primary, preparatory and secondary school student at Al-Azhar studies all the subjects and textbooks taught to general education students besides the extra, weighty and really profound, syllabuses of Azharite (religious) subjects during the preparatory and secondary stages, both in scientific and literary sections. I would like to tell you, Professor ‛Ali ‛Abdul ‛Āl, Speaker of the House of Representatives, that those male and female students sitting in front of you are exceptionally distinguished, in terms of their knowledge, culture, erudition, in language and literary sciences, and in religious (tradition) and secular (reason) disciplines. And since I studied both types of disciplines during my secondary school years, 1960 to 1965, I realize the extent of travail the student of Al-Azhar undergoes during pre-University education. The second point is to draw the attention of fair and objective people to the nature of the curricula taught at Al-Azhar, which – in brief – underlines the pure study of Islam for the sake of Allah, knowledge and truth. It is not guided by specific ideologies or policies, or based on funds invested in the service of ulterior purposes that have nothing to do with knowledge at all. Such curricula depend on the culture of dialogue and acceptance of diverse opinions, without dismissal of opponents as disbelievers, irreligious or heretic, so long as such opinions derive on evidence from the Qur'an, the Sunnah, consensus or analogy. From day one at preparatory school and until the last day at secondary school, this pedagogical, dialectical approach instills in the mind of the Azharite student, since an early age, the principle of validity of difference (in opinion). Each student chooses one of the several schools of jurisprudence (Madhhabs), studying it in depth and inuring the mind to assimilate diverse opinions as sound and valid. Such a moderate approach is maintained for Al-Azhar students throughout their six years of study, when they are between 12 and 18 years old. This definitely refines their mind and conscience, inducing in them a sense of moderation that protects them from falling prey to radical and extremist ideology or to seclusiveness, which involves rejection of opponents' opinions as invalid and deviant or even dissociated from Islam and in turn legalize shedding the blood of those opponents and violating their honor and property. We do not deny that the history of the Muslims, past and present, has been marred by deviant schools that tended towards radicalism and extremism, with advocates hurling accusations of apostasy at opposing schools. However, it would mean stark ignorance to claim that such deviance is the prevalent characteristic of the Muslim heritage. Rather, historical and scholarly integrity dictate that radical and extremist schools represented an anomalous exception in this magnificent heritage. Though they at times gain currency among the riffraff and the uncultivated only, they soon collapse and crumple no matter how much wealth is spent in promoting them.

Dear students, I would like to congratulate you again for your success in passing the secondary school stage and for reaching the stage of university education. If I were to offer you paternal advice on this occasion, it would be – besides observing piety in secret and in public, to hold fast to morals and keep seeking knowledge. I would also urge you to maintain arduousness and avoid falling prey to the preachers of evil and destruction. Keep away from them and shun their moral and material luring. Always remember that your families have entrusted you to acquire knowledge and to dedicate yourselves to study hard day and night. Make sure your time is not wasted in mere chattering or merry chase. Also remember that if you dedicate your full time to knowledge acquisition, you can gain a degree of knowledge, but if you dedicate only part of your time to it, you will get nothing.

Thanks to you all, and may Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you.